Buildings Committee presents new courthouse concepts
Members of the Buildings Committee presented to the Board of Supervisors three new conceptual designs for a new courthouse in the Town of Washington that were unveiled late last year.
The Board of Supervisors approved the restoration of the old church building on the corner of Gay and Jett Streets to be used as a flexible office space for county employees while a new courthouse is being constructed.
The Supervisors agreed to take more time reviewing the proposed designs before making a decision on which direction to proceed. The renewed proposals come as the Board of Supervisors and Buildings Committee continue to discuss renovations to deteriorating county buildings in the Town of Washington. They’re also working to outline a plan for restoring other county-owned structures in town.
The first of the three new design concepts was described by Randy Vaughan, vice president and project manager at consulting firm Wiley-Wilson, as “putting a different suit on the same body,” referring to the widely panned design that was presented to the public in September.
When compared to the initial proposal, among the largest differences is the design of the front facade facing Gay Street. Some residents criticized the original proposal as “barn-like.”
The new option is roughly 19,000 square feet,
about the same size as the original proposal, which is five times the size of the current courthouse that sits fronting Gay Street. The large size of the initially proposed building was another cause for concern among its critics.
The second courthouse concept faces Warren Avenue and sits farther away from Gay Street, a significant change from the previous proposals, which all face Gay Street. Some members of the public indicated at the September Board of Supervisors meeting that they prefer the courthouse fronting Gay Street.